Remember Me?
by Alexandrorca
Summary: (SPOILER WARNING) When he was trying mess with her, what if Gowther had tampered not with Diane's memories, but King's? Kiane.
1. Return

This is one of those rare fics that I got the idea for in the morning, was distracted by all day, and finally wrote and edited the night of the same day. I tried to edit it as best I could even still, so I hope you enjoy it!

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Owww…

Diane rubbed her head. Even though she must have been sleeping a while after they brought her to this room, her head still ached horribly. And to think it was caused by using her own Gideon against her! Diane balled her hands into fists. She couldn't wait to see that Galan again, so she could give him a piece of her mind!

"But, Diane! Wouldn't you rather not run into him so soon after being injured? At least, I-I wish you wouldn't…"

She sighed, smiling. He was always looking out for her.

Even if he wasn't actually here.

She would NEVER admit to anyone that she had mental conversations with her absent friends when she was alone. Never. Even if, at times like these, it didn't seem to make her feel better at all. In fact, she only missed him more. Just like with her golems, imitating real people only made her loneliness increase.

That was okay. She nodded to herself and rose unsteadily to her feet. He would come back to her. Even if she was sick of waiting, waiting for him again, she knew now he had also spent so long waiting for her. Even when she had been with him for over ten years, he had still been waiting for the Diane he had known hundreds of years ago. And Diane wouldn't just wait this time, she would go see what the Captain and the others were doing, what the plan was for dealing with the 10 Commandments. She would help. She would fight.

The sound of a distant shout drew her gaze to the large window, and her eyes widened. There, surrounded by her companions, was King. He looked a bit angry, but otherwise well. Someone had probably been teasing him or something, but it was okay, because she would cheer him up. She would go put that sweet smile back on his face right now! And then, she would tell him what she had told Elizabeth!

She glanced around the room and spotted Gideon lying against the wall. Her grin growing, she snatched it quickly and bounded out of the room. She mentally thanked whichever Camelot royal had a love for high-vaulted ceilings, for she was able to walk around freely. She could even walk through doorways while only stooping once or twice. It was amazing!

Diane really couldn't have been happier right now. But she did wish she could find a door to the outside soon, as she seemed be turning through stone corridors endlessly.

As she rounded another corner, the voices outside became louder, although she couldn't see a thing since the windows were those small grated types at human eye-level.

"While I don't know how you got me out of that jail, I am grateful." Diane frowned. King's voice was irritated, arrogant, and more importantly, she had no idea what he was talking about. "But if you think you can keep me from going back to my forest for one more second, I will have to hurt you."

"This doesn't sound good." Arthur said.

"And I heard the Fairy King's Forest was des-"

But the Captain's voice cut Slader's off, "King! We're not going to stop you, but at least tell us what happened to you and Ban! Where is he?"

Diane crouched down and peered through the window as King sneered at the Captain. "Who?"

"Sir Meliodas, something's wrong with Sir King!" Elizabeth cried.

Meliodas frowned now, and King just kept regarding all of them with that derisive stare, as if they were nameless bothersome knights he had just happened to encounter. Diane was starting to get worried, and she hurried back along the hall to search for a way out. She would talk, if not knock, some sense into him. She just needed to _get out there_ , she just needed to-

"This is a waste of time! I need to get back to them, to my sister, my people! It's been hundreds of years!" King's voice floated in through the window below her.

"Sir King! Wait! You're not making any sense!"

Diane could hear his sound of frustration, even as she ran through the halls. "Stop calling me that. From a human, it's insulting." How could he say that to Elizabeth? "Now I'll ask you one more time to lay down your weapons."

It was the Captain that she heard next, "sorry King. I can't let you go like this."

"Fine, then. Since you've made your choice…" Oh no. Diane knelt down in time to see King wave his hand as Chastiefol transformed from a pillow to a horde of floating knives pointed at each of their friends. "Spirit Spear Chastiefol, Form-"

"WAIT, KING! STOP!" She shouted, and everyone halted and turned to look at the screaming giantess stooping in the window. Even King, but the expression on his face was one she'd never seen. At least, not directed towards her. That glower was for enemies, for demons or their Albions. Maybe for someone who had hurt her. But never for her.

The glare broke her heart, and so she broke the wall. Doors had failed her, so she'd make her own, she had to get out there, she had to know WHY he was looking at her like that! And maybe the sound of her smashing through the wall was louder than she thought, because everyone kept their gaze focused on her, except King, who used that distraction to bolt into the air.

No. You're not getting away that easily! She didn't know if she'd roared those words in her head, aloud, or both, but it didn't matter. She raced across the field in time to grab King in both hands, caging him between her curled fists so he couldn't escape.

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I've really wanted to write from Diane's perspective, but I wasn't sure how or where I would get into her head. Naturally, I chose a feel's trip, because I show my love for characters through making them suffer. Just ask Helbram.

Anyway, I most definitely have plans to at least have a part 2 to this, maybe even a part 3. I'll try to write that ASAP because when it comes to me and multi-chapter fics, well, I tend to lose interest as I get five other new ideas I want to write. That's why I stick to one-shots in this fandom. But if people like this, I'll do my best to finish it!

Thanks for reading!

p.s. I never realized how much fun I have writing angry King


	2. Fading Fast

This is actually two chapters smushed together. I know I won't be able to work on this til next week, so I figured, why not?

Anyway, thanks everyone for all of the positive feedback! It's much appreciated! I hope you all enjoy this!

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He flitted back and forth violently in her hands, and Diane wondered vaguely if he was desperate enough to bite her. Once his fists pounding on her palms slowed, she finally opened her hands just wide enough for his head squeeze through. She quickly clamped them shut again on his waist. Next she scanned him for clouded eyes, a hint of confusion that might indicate he was under the spell of that Holy Knight who made her attack the Captain, but his gaze was clear as he fixed her with a look of resigned disgust. It could tear her in two, that look.

"Watch out!" Diane left her eyes from King to find herself surrounded by knives all pointing at her head. She looked down at the fairy again, and he smirked triumphantly. He snapped his fingers and the knives rushed towards her. She knew she should do something, defend herself, stop him, but her brain didn't seem to be working right now.

King is attacking me, her mind repeated over and over.

 _King_ is attacking me.

Finally, some part of her remembered to shriek, and she closed her eyes in a wince. She waited for King's knives pierce her head. But nothing happened.

She opened her eyes to see Meliodas falling back to the ground after he must've countered the hit. "Diane, are you okay?"

She nodded, trying to find her voice. When she found it, she could only yell. "King, if you ever try to do that again I swear I will never talk to you ever!"

Diane glared at King, daring him to contradict her. But his anger seemed to have dissipated into shock, and his eyes were practically bulging out of his head.

"Wait… Did he say…You're DIANE?"

Exhaling, she let herself relax just a bit. This _was_ King, not some demon wearing his face. She could see it in his cute little blush. "But then… When did you get so…" He blushed harder, and Diane laughed her tension away. She wasn't sure what he was stuttering about, but the way he gaped at her seemed to be a compliment. "I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?"

"I'm fine! And it's okay, you were just defending yourself and you didn't know it was me!" She wanted to forget that just happened. She wanted to never, ever speak of him attacking her again, and only focus on her contentment that King was here, and she was holding him, he was here. She hugged him close to her chest, grinning. "You're back! You're back! I'm so happy to see you!"

King tittered nervously, the blush spreading to his neck and beyond. "I-I'm happy to see you too, Diane, I…uh w-wait! You shouldn't-… You remember me!?"

Diane nodded. That was what she had planned to tell him, after all. She held him away from her so that they could look at each other properly, but she refused to let go of him. "Ever since that fight in the city."

King furrowed his brow. "The city?"

"With Helbram." She replied.

The fairy King looked startled, "you saw that?! I didn't know… I didn't realize."

"I saw the whole thing." Though she smiled at him, the he seemed worn out from the conversation.

"I never wanted you to see that."

"What are you talking about? You protected me, and everyone else! You were so cool!"

He looked lost in thought for a moment. "Thanks, Diane. But I don't think he would've gone after you anyway…"

"Hm?" He must've been joking. It wasn't very funny.

"But, Diane… Don't misunderstand me, I'm so happy to see you again. But can you let me go, just for a little bit? I need to check on the Fairy King's Forest. My sister has been guarding it in my place for a very long time." His face brightened, "I'll come back and take you with me next time! I can show you my home! I mean, you'd want to come, right?"

Diane didn't know what to say. "King…"

The fairy frowned and shook his head. "Even you? Have you forgotten my name?"

"Harlequin," she tasted the word on her lips, noting how it felt both strange and familiar to address him this way. "Harlequin, your Forest is…" She trailed off, and King tilted his head and smiled at her.

"What is it, Diane?"

"CAPTAIN!" She shouted, refusing to answer him.

As King watched in confusion, Meliodas dictated Arthur and Slader to return to the Castle and find Merlin. He tried to send Elizabeth as well, but she insisted on staying. "I'm sorry, Sir Meliodas, but I won't leave Diane alone like this!" Diane flashed her friend a grateful smile.

Before anyone could react, King wriggled out of her grip. She had to wrestle with the urge to snatch him back and keep him with her forever, even though he only hovered a few feet in front of her.

"Stay back, Diane! They're dangerous!"

"What? Harlequin, Elizabeth won't hurt us!"

Though his back was to her, she still could see him put his hand on his face thoughtfully. She knew he must be frowning. "It's not the human girl I'm concerned about…"

She couldn't watch King and the Captain fight again, but it seemed she wouldn't need to. "No problem, King." Meliodas shrugged with a grin, "we'll just wait over here." And he and Elizabeth moved a few yards away.

King waved his hand at them, "Farther."

They kept walking backwards, until King finally sighed in relief. "That should do for now." He turned back to Diane with a small smile. "I really do need to go. I promise I'll be right-"

"No!" Diane stomped her foot, "you can't."

"But-"

"No! You have to stay here, because… Because I need to introduce you to my friend. Her name is Merlin. She's really great, and really smart, and you can't go because I have to introduce you."

"Diane," he smiled at her as if she were still a child. In his mind, she realized she might be. "I'm so happy you've found more friends. And I'd love to meet her! But I have to check on the Forest first, and-"

"NO." Her volume was increasing, but she didn't care, because this confused King absolutely COULD NOT go see the ruins of his home. "Please. Just wait with me a little while. It won't take long. Please."

King looked frustrated, but he hid it under a smile that soon turned genuine. "All right, just for a little while."

* * *

"I believe you." King said softly.

"Really?!" She beamed at the fairy who had listened attentively to her atop Chastiefol.

He nodded. "I can't think of any other explanation for how you could have aged so fast in only two decades." King sighed, "I just don't get how I could have lost my memory so soon after I got it back, but… You said it's been much longer than that, right?"

"Mhm. And you still have no idea how this happened?"

He shook his head sadly, "I don't even know how I got here."

"Don't worry about it, Harlequin!" She grabbed him, pillow and all, and kept him in her palm. "We'll fix this soon, and until then, we can spend some time together!"

"Yeah!" He gave her a small smile.

King rested comfortably in her hand as they chatted about everything and yet nothing. The way he acted around her made her feel like a kid again, but she found she didn't mind all that much. As they began watching the clouds, one of the shapes reminded her of an old friend, and she hesitantly shared with King a few details of what it was like growing up in the Giant Clan.

"That's awful that they framed you for her death. I'm so sorry, Diane."

"It's okay. It wasn't nearly as bad as being thrown in jail for murders your friend committed."

King stared at her with a mixture of confusion and concern. He gave a nervous laugh. "What's gotten into you? Such a scary game."

Now Diane stared at him, and noticed something amiss. "Where did Chastiefol go?"

"Where did who go?"

"It's not a who, it's a…" Her heart started pounding. Could he not remember how to summon his sacred treasure? Did he not even know what it was? "King…"

He smiled at her encouragingly. "King Chastiefol, that's who we're looking for?"

Don't panic, Diane. Smile. Don't panic. If you freak out, he'll freak out. Merlin will be here soon. Stay calm. Calm.

"Do you still want to go back to the Forest?" She kept her tone light. This was a game, right?

"What forest? You mean by our cave?"

She forced herself to giggle. "No, silly, the one where the King lives!"

"Oh! Sure, let's go find King Chastiefol in the forest!" He said, laughing excitedly. He dashed away, until he realized Diane wasn't following him. He flew back to her and floated in front of her face. "Don't you want to play?"

"No." Diane replied, her voice finally cracking, "Not at all."

"What's wrong? …Did I do something?" He looked so worried, she thought her heart might break.

She shook her head, fighting back tears. "No, it's not you! I just… I just want to stay here and talk some more."

He studied her for a few moments, his anxiety never wavering. But finally, he flew slowly to sit on her shoulder. "All right, if you're sure."

They didn't talk much. They tried, but the conversation eventually fell away into periods of strained silences until one of those silences never ended. After a while, Diane felt King settle in the crook of her neck. She was sure he had fallen asleep. That brought a smile to her face, albeit a small one. He was still her King, her Harlequin, who couldn't go a day without a few good naps.

She glanced over at the Captain and Elizabeth. They had apparently decided King was harmless enough that they didn't need to watch Diane, and barely paid her any attention as they chatted. She looked at the Castle now. Except for some knights and servants scurrying frantically around the new hole in their wall, there was no one around. What was taking Merlin so long? And now that she thought about, where had Gowther been all this time?

Moving her head around so much must have roused King, as she soon felt him stirring. "Good morning sleepy head!" She sang cheerily for his sake.

But then she didn't sense him anymore, and she looked over her shoulder to see King slowly hovering away. He was muttering to himself, and she was only able to catch some of it. "…Don't make eye contact…don't make any sudden moves…"

"Are you…afraid of me?" Diane was positive her heart just stopped. Tears threatened to roll down her face again, and the fairy looked taken aback.

"Y-You're offended…" He said more as an incredulous observation than a question directed at her. "I didn't realize your kind could…I mean…"

That was too much. It was just too damn much. Something inside of Diane snapped, and she jumped to her feet. She screamed louder than she thought possible, an animalistic screech that eventually took on coherence and formed a word. "MEEEEEEEEEEEEERLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

Breathing hard, she whirled around to see King flying away as fast as possible. "Harlequin!" She called out pleadingly, and he froze in the air. He glanced back, wearing a mixture of shock and horror that she knew his name, and then sped off again, too fast and too high for her to reach.

Diane turned desperately to the Captain, who had one of his rare serious expressions. He made a shooing motion. "We'll be fine here. Go after him."

She nodded gratefully and started running.

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I give Diane major props for keeping her patience for so long.

Final chapter is coming out next week! Hope you're liking it so far!


	3. Vanish

Sorry for the late update here, it's been crazy between Ren Faire season, adopting a new kitty, and auditions for a play. Enjoy!

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Diane followed King for miles and miles, wondering how on Earth he was so FAST. She had gotten tired long ago, and at this point, her lagging strides were powered only by her sheer resolve.

Eventually, King slowed down, passing her one more terrified glance. She didn't reduce her speed at all, closing the distance as best she could. She was only a few yards away when that big black dog of his appeared and King flew straight into Oslow's mouth. He vanished seconds before the hound.

Diane cursed, her exhaustion catching up to her. She finally stopped, curled her hands into fists, and nearly doubled over. She gave herself only a few minutes before she straightened, still panting, and examined her surroundings. Green fields and forests as far as the eye could see- but not the Forest she knew she had to find. The one she actually had no clue how to reach. But that was okay, because there must be someone who would help her.

She trotted to a village only a mile or so away, her lungs and legs both protesting at the effort. She stumbled onto the wider main road, but before she could even get a word out, the villagers began shrieking and running for cover.

Diane bit her lip. She should have expected this. She should have thought about this more, or brought someone smaller along: the Captain, Elizabeth, even that Slader guy. At the very least, she could have asked Meliodas for directions. But she had charged ahead without thinking as usual, and now she was getting about the same response as the last time she tried to find help for a man she loved.

But she couldn't give up. She traveled quickly through the rest of the hostile village and to a few villages beyond, looking for anyone to even say hello to the lone giantess. She lost count of towns by the time someone finally said "that's the Serpent's Sin of Envy! She's one of the heroes who saved us from the Holy Knights!"

Sighing in relief, Diane was finally able to learn that she had inadvertently wandered in the direction of the ruined Forest, and could be there in about an hour's time (at human speed, anyway). Knowing she had already wasted half the day, Diane hurried to the craggy mountain pass, wishing and hoping that King was still there, and that he was all right.

There was no doubt about it. This was the remains of the Fairy King's Forest. The piles of ash and charcoal seemed to go on forever, and even the hollowed out husks of trees were taller than Diane. Far off in the center of this wreckage was a blackened, enormous tree that was wider and higher than Diane could imagine. She knew immediately that this must be the Sacred Tree that King was always talking about. But where was he?

As she rushed through the remnants of King's Forest, she moved gingerly. There was something about these ruins that called for reverent care. She also had a vague feeling that someone was watching her, but she didn't want to dwell on that right now. Soon, she caught the tail end of desperate shouts.

"...bram? Elaine?" He called out for a few other fairies whose names Diane didn't recognize, and then he dropped a few feet from the air onto his hands and knees. Diane surged towards him, concerned, as he mumbled, "I've been searching for hours…I can't find a sign of anyone. Did no one… survive?" Though she couldn't see his face, she could hear the sob in King's voice. She knelt beside him, wanting to comfort him but fearing rejection. He slowly raised his head, and Diane saw the tears streaming down his cheeks. He seemed to be looking at her as he spoke, until she realized he was looking past her to the Sacred Tree. "… Why…? Why did you choose me if you knew that only a few years later I would destroy everything?"

He stared at the tree a few moments longer, as if expecting an answer. Then, he suddenly turned his face towards her, and those watery eyes turned vehement. He zoomed up to her face, his eyes filled with hurt and hate. "You, giant… Did _you_ do this!?"

Diane was dumbstruck. She was angry with herself for feeling afraid at the way he gazed at her. She shouldn't be afraid of him, she should be getting him help. But the memory of those knives closing in on her head wouldn't disappear, and of course she wasn't too happy that he was blaming her for all of this.

They stared at each other, King with rage and Diane with dread, while both trembled. Finally, it was King who tore his gaze away. "Of course she didn't… No giant could be capable of doing this." As he spoke, he slowly sunk down from the air. "No, the only way this is possible is if… But the Demon Clan was sealed 2000 years ago… So how…" By this time, he had already reached the ground, and he continued staring at some unknown point in the distance as he whispered, "this is all my fault." He dropped to his knees, and the only indications of his silent weeping were the tremors that wracked his entire body.

"Harlequin…" Diane murmured. "Harlequin, are you…" She stopped herself when she realized that asking him that question was useless. She had absolutely no idea what to do in this situation. Comforting people had never been her thing, and she wanted more than anything to bring him back to his present self who had already dealt with this mess so she didn't have to see his reaction anymore. Was that selfish?

But the feeling of eyes on her back intensified, and now she was sure she could hear light footsteps in the ash. She turned around to see, of all people, the Sin of Lust walking towards them. "Gowther! What are you doing here?"

"Merlin sent me." He answered in his usual matter-of-fact monotone.

Diane felt the first smile on her face in hours. "Oh! Great! Let's get King back to see her as soon as possible!"

But Gowther made no move to help her, and just kept studying the pair with mild interest.

"Gowther, come on!"

He continued staring at her, and then suddenly raised his arm over his head in a stiff mimic of a victory pose. "I win."

"…What?"

"You claimed that feelings have nothing to do with memories, and would last even if the precious memories connected to them were lost. You were wrong. I win."

Diane glanced back at King, who showed no sign of even being aware of the conversation happening next to him. "Are you talking about what I said to you when you screwed around with Guila and her brother's memories?"

Gowther nodded. "Yes. I was curious, so I decided to test your assertion."

Diane finally rose to a standing position. "So you're telling me that even after we stopped you from manipulating Guila, you targeted King from wherever the hell he was and ruined his memory just to challenge me?" Her voice was flat, much like that of the one who answered her.

"Not quite. When King appeared in the middle of Camelot's Castle demanding to see you, I realized that his previous memory restoration and intense emotional attachment to you would make him a good test subject, so I took his memories while he was waiting for you to wake up."

"Oh." Diane replied in her sweetest voice, "I understand now."

WHAM!

Gowther's body smashed through several collapsing trees and eventually smacked against one more solid than the rest on the other side of the Forest. Diane took another peek at King. He hadn't moved. She felt like millions of tiny red-hot creatures were scrambling around her insides trying to bite their way out. There had to be something inside physically tearing her apart, or how else could she feel like this when she looked at the despondent Fairy King?

But Gowther had pulled himself to his feet, and that just wasn't okay. She rushed towards him again, screaming, while he stood still and looked her in the eyes. "I'm not quite sure if I deserve this one."

Diane punched him again, this time so hard that he collided with the rocky mountainside that formed the edge of the Forest. "YOU DESERVE EVERY SECOND OF THIS!" She roared.

She waited only a moment for Gowther to drop from the crater his body had made in the wall, and then she began frantically beating him over and over again into the ground. Huffing, she finally glanced down to see he had barely a scratch on him. "You…" The word ended in a snarl. She had nothing to say to him.

Her fingers closed around his body, and as she brought him up to her eye level, she slowly tightened her grip.

"Do you plan to kill me, Diane?"

Her narrowed eyes widened. Sure, she was furious. She despised him. But he was another Sin, someone she had spent so much time traveling with. She couldn't possibly.

"I see. As they say, you do not 'have it in you.'" His voice was still so flat and calm that she regretted loosening her hand.

"Maybe I do." She answered venomously, "and Gowther, stay the hell out of my thoughts!"

His expression never changed as he gave her a half-assed apology that did nothing to ease her fury.

"Why aren't you fighting back, anyway?!"

"The Captain ordered I should allow you to strike me as punishment for endangering all of the Sins. However, if I felt my life was in danger, I would then be permitted to disable you," he said as he adjusted his glasses.

Diane grimaced at the word "disable." She didn't even want to think of whatever mental hellhole he would stick her in, but she cautiously assumed it would be worse than the one she was in now. "The Captain said that, huh…"

She "dropped" him, which really entailed her throwing him back into the earth. She caught another glimpse of King, but it appeared he hadn't moved the entire time. Even when she ran back to his side he did not react to her presence at all. She could still hear him breathing heavily, which comforted her at least a bit, but he didn't respond even when she shook his shoulder with her finger.

"You did this to him." She looked over at the pink-haired man walking towards her.

He tilted his head in confusion. "I did not burn down the Forest."

She needed to smack him again. "No, but you made him experience it again, you slimy, heartless, good-for-nothing asshole!" She swung her arm back, ready to nail him again, but she found herself suddenly unable to move. "wh-…"

"I was explicitly told to ensure you were not hurt. You are still recovering. So do not anger me." Gowther's voice had only the slightest hint of a threatening tone.

She struggled with every part of her being, but only felt herself quivering from the effort.

"I was also asked to bring you back to Camelot as soon as possible. Everyone is waiting for us so that we can discuss what to do about the 10 Commandments."

Finally, he returned to her control of her mouth. "I'm not going anywhere without King!"

"Ban and Escanor will not be present either. Is that so strange?" Diane loathed that head tilt.

"Turn him back." She demanded in a low voice. "Turn him back right now, Gowther."

"But if we wait just a bit longer, he will no longer remember ever being the Fairy King at all. The destruction of the Forest will become someone else's mistake. He will lose centuries of guilt. Don't you think that would make him happy?"

Maybe she should have thought about it more, but she replied without hesitation. She knew Gowther had to be wrong. "Turn him back. Then I'll go with you."

He nodded. "Okay." He released Diane and made a strange gesture at King, and Diane whirled around excitedly to see him. But it looked like nothing had changed. He still hadn't stirred.

"It's not working!" She panicked.

"He has over 1500 years of memories to restore. It will take some time."

She reached down to pick up the frozen King. "Then let's take him with us." To her frustration, Gowther halted her hand again.

"That is not a good idea. While his memories are being repaired, he should not make any new ones of the people within those memories. It would cause overlap, and only confuse him. It could harm him."

Diane shook her head. "You can't expect him to just stay here the whole time! He's going to eventually move around and make new memories! So you're not even making any sense!" She said with her hands on her hips.

"Many of his memories involve you. If he sees _you_ , it will harm him."

"But, I…"

Diane peered down at King for a long time, watching as he now lacked the strength and spirit to even cry. If there was anything she could do to avoid hurting him more, she would do it. Even if it pained her endlessly.

Gowther extended his hand to her. "Shall we?"

She crossed her arms and turned her head aside. "I'm not touching any part of you," she said with gritted teeth.

"You must, in order for the teleportation to work."

She sighed, allowing the farthest tip of her pinky fingertip to barely graze Gowther's hand. It took only seconds for the charred Forest and its defeated King to vanish from her sight.

* * *

...Well, that's the end of the story folks! Hope you enjoyed it XD  
In all seriousness, I didn't expect to write this much for this fic! It's basically writing itself at this point. It is definitely getting near to the end of the fic though, so look for the last (second-to-last? next?) chapter next week!

p.s. I really thought I would accomplish so much more in this fic, and then Gowther happened. And then it just became ALL Gowther. There is so much Gowther...


	4. Whisper

Hello friends and welcome to the exposition chapter. It may also be the Kingless chapter. Possibly ;)

* * *

Diane listened as her friends decided to train. She accompanied them to the Land of the Druids. But if you asked her who she had entered the Cave with, she could only stare at you blankly. She doubted that trial had made her stronger at all, because she wasn't really there.

Her mind, soul, and heart were in the blackened Forest, watching uselessly as King's sobs faded into a disturbing silence. Her Harlequin was never that quiet, not even asleep. She could still remember her delighted discovery as a child that this fairy boy talked in his sleep- sometimes sad things, but often whacky, nonsensical lines. And awake, he had words for everyone: a lecture, an opinion, a comment, King always had something to say.

The stillness as he gazed at the ash would not leave her brain.

The other Sins, as well as the Holy Knights who had joined them, seemed to tiptoe around Diane. Certain topics were contraband at the Sins' camp, even for Gowther (though she knew that wasn't his choice). Everyone followed this unspoken rule, except for one.

"Diane?" She had called to her once again soon after leaving the Land of the Druids, "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

The giantess flashed Elizabeth her best fake smile, though it was starting to wear thin. "Of course!"

"Then, do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?" She'd answered in a chipper voice, and Elizabeth sighed as she had every other time they'd had this conversation. "Please, Diane. It's been almost a month, and you haven't been yourself. I'm so worried about you, if you could only-"

Diane looked away, to the sky, the ground, anywhere but her friend's face. "Can we talk about this later?"

Elizabeth's hands clenched at her sides, and she started to retort with a reddening face, until a certain someone started squeezing her chest from behind. The Princess's face only flushed further as her eyes widened in surprise.

"I have something we can talk about!" Meliodas said cheerily.

"S-Sir Meliodas, wait!" He shushed the protesting Princess with his finger and began leading her away. Diane glowered after the pervy Captain as he was berated by Hawk, and it wasn't until Meliodas winked back at her that Diane realized she'd been rescued.

She wasn't trying to ignore Elizabeth or hurt her feelings or anything, and she knew her friend only meant well, but why couldn't Elizabeth see that THIS was how she'd chosen to deal with her situation, so THIS was how she would continue to?

Still, she probably owed Elizabeth an apology for all the times she had blown her off lately. Considering that the large group that had entered the Vaizel labyrinth had somehow dwindled down to all but Hawk, Elizabeth, and herself, now was probably the best time to do so.

"Hey, Elizabeth?" Diane said shyly.

"Yes?"

"I…" When Diane finally met her friend's smiling face, her eyes were drawn behind her by a flash of movement and color. There was an open archway, beyond which was another such arch, and passing by that was…

"Diane? Are you all right?"

"Ma…"

Diane really didn't mean to ignore her friend again, but she couldn't help it. She dashed past the confused Elizabeth and through the doors.

By the time she'd reached the spot, there was no one to be found. Of course there wasn't. What was she doing? It was impossible for Matrona to be here, and now…

She turned back to find her path blocked by a solid wall. Dammit! Elizabeth! She began pounding on the stone, and it was the muffled voice of Hawk she heard first.

"What the hell were you thinking you crazy girl?!"

Elizabeth's came next, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah! I'm sorry, I thought I saw something...you guys okay?" Once she heard their affirmations, she let her grimace grow into a small, determined smile. "Good. I'm going to stay along this wall until I find a way back to you. Follow the sound of my voice and do the same, okay?"

"Got it!"

"Okay!"

"And Hawk, look out for Elizabeth!" She added as she began walking quickly, trailing her hand against the stone.

"Leave it to me!" The pig promised.

Diane wished she could just knock over the wall, but she knew better. The Ground Gladius she had attempted after they had been separated from the Captain had rebounded back so intensely she thought she'd lose consciousness again.

"You guys still there?" She called.

"Yeah!"

"Yes!"

But their voices sounded even farther away, as if the wall itself was growing thicker. She moved faster now, shouting their names every few seconds, but their responses grew fainter still. Once Diane stopped hearing answers at all, she ran frantically back and forth around the area she last heard them, pressing her ear against the wall in distress.

But there was only silence. She had lost her friends.

She leaned against the wall now, crossing her arms and scowling. This was all because the maze had played tricks with her mind. She hated whoever had created it. But as long as the monsters here were no fiercer than the leeches Elizabeth had saved her from earlier when they were looking for food, the Princess should be fine. And she trusted the rest of her friends to find their way to the center as well. Diane just needed to join them.

Diane examined her options and found herself in a large room. A few feet away to her right was another narrow corridor. To the far left and right of her were paths that both disappeared behind sharp turns. She'd almost made up her mind when she felt something shifting in the earth beneath her feet.

The movement became more violent, and Diane feared an earthquake, until the soil around her began rapidly sinking. A pitfall? Quicksand? Then she saw teeth hopelessly large even by her standards, and she shrieked.

A harsh blow to its snout with Gideon prevented the large mouth from taking a chunk out of her leg, and gave her time to jump aside before it bursted from the ground. Diane took one look at the emerging creature and couldn't stop the scream. It was like a monstrous slug, with a long slippery body and rows of sharp teeth. It was a giant bug!

The beast slammed back onto the ground with a force that shook even the giantess. It lunged at her, jaws open impossibly wide. She readied Gideon to strike, but it seemed that wouldn't be necessary.

A large projectile moving too fast for Diane to identify plunged just below the head of the creature and came out the other side. As she watched in amazement, the object swiftly pierced the creature again and again, in and out like a deadly needle moving through cloth, until the beast lay in tatters. The weapon slowed then, and Diane could finally recognize what, and who, and saved her.

"Harlequin!" She practically glowed with happiness as she watched Chastiefol come to float beside the Fairy King. But he didn't look as excited as she was.

"H-Hi, Diane…" He whispered, and Diane was still trying to decipher what was contained in that expression and tone- sadness? Guilt? Relief? Shock? -Until she realized he had said her name. She beamed, but in response he only zoomed away atop his spear.

"Wait!" Again? How many more times was he going to make her chase him? "Harlequin! King! Harlequin!" She whipped around corners and through vast chambers, refusing to let him out of her sight. But he proved too fast for her, and before she could figure out which way King had gone, Gilthunder's yell drew her attention before she trampled the Holy Knights.

"You look like you've seen a ghost!" Gil commented after she apologized breathlessly.

Hauser just laughed happily. "But you're looking a lot livelier than you did earlier today!"

"Did he go this way?" She finally asked once her panting had slowed.

"Who?"

"King!"

Hauser looked thrilled. "King's here? That's awesome!"

"We haven't seen him." Gil told her, but he seemed just as happy for her.

She growled in frustration. "How does he disappear like that? This is just great. First I lose Elizabeth when I run after-…"

"When you ran after who, Diane?"

"Oh." She answered sheepishly, "I thought I saw a friend who had died a long time ago, but turns out it was all just my imagination."

The two Knights looked at each other in alarm.

"Diane…"Hauser rubbed the back of his neck, "You've been really upset lately, yeah? You've tired yourself out, and maybe…"

Gil finished for him. "Maybe King wasn't really there, either."

Diane put her hands on her hips. "Seriously, guys? You think I made this up!?"

"I…uh…well…Gil?"

"This maze has been fooling all of us. It could have been an illusion."

She shook her head slowly and vigorously. "I _saw King_. He _spoke_ to me. He said my name. He saved me from this…thing, and I KNOW he was real! So it doesn't matter if you don't believe me, because I'm going to go find him anyway!"

As she started stomping away, she heard Gilthunder hiss, "It's not safe for her to go like this! Help me stop her, Hauser!"

"Hey, if the Lady saws she saw King, I won't argue! Least we can do is give her a hand!"

Diane looked back to see Hauser grinning at her. She returned the smile, and both turned to Gil, who was glancing back and forth between the excited pair incredulously. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

Diane stuck out her tongue at the Knight and winked, "Nope!"

"At least we can finish the maze while we look…" He sighed.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this latest chapter! Next one will be out...hopefully in less than a week this time, now that the Ren Faire has ended. Thanks for reading :)


	5. Questions

I should have said this way before chapter 5, but thanks so much to everyone who has taken the time to read, follow, fave, and review! All of those notifications make me smile every time, so thank you!

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"That was an earthcrawler!"

Diane swore that Gilthunder's eyes sparkled as he whirled around with his finger pointed in the air and told her, "They're capable of consuming buildings and even multiple men on horseback! They can span hundreds of feet in length, and-"

"Nerd." Diane and Hauser both muttered and then laughed at each other.

"It's useful information if we run into another one!" Gilthunder retorted.

"Gil, how can you even remember all those facts, anyway?"

Diane tuned out the Knight's reply as she began walking faster. She didn't want him to get too far. "Harlequin!" She called, cupping her hands over her mouth, "Harlequin!"

"Huh? Wait, aren't we looking for King?"

Gilthunder studied her curiously. "That's King's real name, isn't it? Since when have you been calling him that?"

Diane's fingers began pulling her pigtail towards her face of their own accord. "Well…" Why did she feel so shy all of a sudden? "I used to call him that when we were kids."

Both Knights stared at her in shock. "Whaaaaaaat?" Hauser exclaimed.

"I kind of grew up with him? We were good friends."

"It means we're really good friends!" King's voice defined the word "couple" in her head, and blushing she retreated further behind her hair.

That is what they were once, wasn't it? A couple. He promised he'd always love her, and always be by her side. But with the way he had acted around her lately, the way he had disappeared again and again, no matter what stage his memories were at, she wondered if that was still true.

"…So that's why you guys were always so close."

Diane looked back to see Gilthunder put a hand on Hauser's shoulder. What was with them? "Actually, I forgot those 500 years I spent with him until recently."

The two Knights were ogling her again, and she was starting to feel defensive. "How do you forget 500 years?" Gilthunder demanded.

"Is this like King's memory loss? Is this a thing with you guys?!"

Her face darkened from the accusations, and then fell when she realized she couldn't answer the question. She scanned her own memory. One minute, she was tearfully watching her Harlequin fly away, trusting in his promise to come back to her no matter what. The next, she was returning to the Giant Clan. She wondered absently if he _had_ come back, unable to find her. And then, hadn't he said he had ended up in jail?

But…for so long her mind had been focused on King. Confessing. Searching. Waiting. And recently she hadn't allowed her mind to entertain thoughts that went far beyond "why hasn't he come back yet?" But now she couldn't seem to stop her mind from wandering and wondering. How had she lost such a large chunk of her memory?

"Diane!" A familiar voice called, "Gil! Hauser! I'm so happy to see you all!"

"Elizabeth! You're okay!" Diane bounded over to her friend, and both excitedly brought the other up to speed. Elizabeth had also been attacked by those monsters that Gilthunder had rambled about, and had been saved by a mage named Gilfrost. Gilthunder seem uneasy around the newcomer- maybe he didn't like someone copying his name- but Diane didn't give it much thought.

She had other matters to focus on, as she explained to Elizabeth, and before long they were all looking for King while trying to reach the center of the labyrinth. Diane was grateful how quickly everyone had jumped to aid her search. Once or twice, someone even thought that they'd caught a glimpse of the Fairy King, but no one had successfully found him yet.

Wait, what was that sound?

"Watch out, everyone!" But Elizabeth's warning was unnecessary, as everyone had already leapt out of the way of the blast. Diane didn't have time to look, but she could feel the shock wave as it shattered the wall to their right and continued smashing through the walls to their left and beyond.

"Elizabeth!" He had called before the smoke even cleared, and Diane laughed. Of course the Captain and Ban would not find but make a shortcut through the labyrinth. "Yo, everyone!" He said as he finally stepped through the debris with Ban and Arthur.

"Now that the Captain is here, we'll get through this maze in no time!" She said excitedly.

Meliodas waved. "Oh, hey, Diane! Haven't seen you look that happy for a long time!"

Ban smirked. "Maybe she finally gave up on King and started crushing on you again."

"Shut UP, Ban!" She backhanded him and flung him far into the gaping hole.

He reappeared a few minutes later, laughing with his hands in his pockets. "I can't even tell if that's a yes or a no."

Diane tried to ignore him, which became easier as she was distracted by the reunion of Meliodas and Elizabeth. They were staring at each other in that way that made her want to scream, but the pangs of jealousy that came from watching them seemed different. They were other emotions tied up with that envy as well, and she recognized fear and dread at the forefront. If… No, _when_ she saw King again, would it be possible to have such a sweet and blissful reunion? He had given her such looks of malice, hatred, and disgust a month ago. He had attacked her. And she was trying so, so hard, but those images just wouldn't go away.

What if he rejected her again? She wasn't sure if she could endure that.

Everyone rushed to the tunnel before it could close up. When Diane peered through to the other side, the first person she saw was…

"Matrona?!" So she hadn't imagined her? Diane surged forward, pushing her friends aside as she crawled through the hole first. Matrona was alive.

She listened as her old friend and mentor explained how she was still alive, what she had been doing all this time, why she was even here, but Diane soon became distracted by a flash of blue and orange. Her eyes lit up, and she started to run towards him, but Matrona held out her arm to block her.

"Matrona, I'm sorry, I want to catch up later, but I need-"

"Never mind that. Look." Diane followed Matrona's gaze up to the top of the boulder. She heard Meliodas declare behind her that these were Commandments, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the larger one.

"Is that…?"

Matrona nodded. "A giant, with incredible magic power."

"Dolor." She heard the smaller Commandment address him, and they looked at each other in dismay. Dolor?! As in the founder of their clan?!

Awestruck, Diane watched as his four arms shaped a stage of two enormous hands. Her admiration quickly turned to dizzying nausea as the other Commandment sent out his "death thorns" to kill every remaining life in the labyrinth. Of course, she was horrified at the deaths of those unknown numbers of people, but she wondered what would've happened if Meliodas hadn't blasted his way through in search of Elizabeth. If she'd been alone, even if she'd still been with just Gilthunder and Hauser, the three of them would be-

But now King had flown dangerously close to the Commandments, and her heart leapt high into her throat. What was he doing? He had to get away, _now_ , from this- Fairy King?! No wonder King looked so horrified, they had the same powers and title. Because King could probably do exactly what this Gloxinia had just done. But he never would, right? Right. It was essential for her to believe that.

But now she learned that Escanor had been located, just as this former Fairy King had stabbed him, and she along with the rest of the Sins raced towards him. Matrona did not halt her this time.

Before anyone could even reach him, however, a single droplet of water fell from a large rose's thorn, and the gaping wound in Escanor's abdomen closed.

The Commandments excused stabbing and healing Escanor as an example of what they could offer a potential victor, but Diane was disgusted. She wanted no prize that these malevolent people could provide, she just wanted to protect her friends and bring King home.

"Dolor, if you'd please." The Fairy King gestured dramatically at the First Giant and the ground beneath Diane began to shake. She was propelled into the air on a small platform of earth, and the shouts of confusion around her showed that the same had happened to her friends.

Her platform melded neatly into one of the stone fingertips, and Diane took an unsteady step forward as she readjusted to solid ground. Her partner for the contest had already arrived, and he was peering over the side of the stage, watching the other groups assemble. She began walking towards him, and he either ignored her or was simply too engrossed in his task- he was probably looking to see if Elaine was all right.

She had to speak to him, or she would explode right there on the spot. But she had no idea where to start. She had so many questions, and she couldn't decide which answer was most important.

It seemed she wouldn't need to make that decision, however, as King suddenly turned around to face her.

* * *

how many manga chapters did I fit into these four pages, seven? I may have been rushing towards a certain someone...I figured no one would mind.

Words can't even describe how excited I am to write this next chapter. Everyone's going to hate me, it'll be so much fun!

Thanks for reading!


	6. Confess

Nakaba released a chapter early, so I felt like I should too :) unfortunately, this chapter does not contain obvious sexual tension between two bara bishounen, but hopefully it still does the trick ;)

* * *

"Harlequin, do you… remember me?" Her voice was hesitant, as she wasn't sure what to make of his prolonged silence.

After a long pause, he nodded slowly. She thought that answer would excite her, but she was only more confused. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but he caught her off guard with one of his own. "And you said…" He scrunched up his face, concentrating hard, and she wondered if he was trying to sort out what had been real and what his confused memories and mind had convinced him had been happening.

"… You got your memories back, from… From those 500 years? You said that, didn't you?"

She nodded, so elated to finally be able to tell him this. "Yes! I'm not sure how, or how I even lost them in the first place, but I have them!"

"Wait, you don't know?"

"Know what? Do you know what happened to my memories, Harlequin?" She couldn't stop smiling at him. She was even happier that he might be able to solve this mystery for her.

He began shifting a bit more in the air. Was he nervous? "Y-yeah. I know who took them, anyway."

Wait, someone _took_ them? She smacked her hands together eagerly. "Then tell me! Whoever did it has it coming."

"O-oh? Uh… Well… It was…um…"

"Come on, Harlequin, who was it?"

"Um…" King squeezed his eyes shut as he quickly whispered "I took them."

"… What?"

"I erased your memories, Diane."

King watched her with widened, stricken eyes, and that frustrated her. Why should he look so upset, when she was the one who just found out that he of all people had done such a thing to her? But, how did he even… And… "Why?"

"It's a long story… I guess you could say it seemed like a good idea at the time…" He wouldn't meet her eyes now.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?! "So, what, you did it just because you could? You took my memories just for fun, like Gowther?!"

"Would I do that, Diane?!"

"I don't know…" Though it hadn't been his fault, she just kept thinking of him attacking her in Camelot, and she thought of the other Fairy King, who had murdered so many with just a casual wave of his hand. King was just as powerful as he was. Who knew what else he was capable of? She loved him, but she didn't know what he could _do_.

"Diane." He said again, his voice softened by hurt, "do you really think I would do that?"

"I don't know. Then why?"

"Because I… I promised you I would come back no matter what. And for a number of reasons, I wasn't able to keep that promise after all, and I thought of you waiting for me, and I thought-"

"You thought I couldn't handle it."

Though he looked horrified, there wasn't enough denial in his face to make Diane feel better at all. "Wh-what? Diane, that's not what I-"

Her voice was icy as she said, "You're wrong. You didn't erase my memories for my sake. You did it for yours. You couldn't handle facing me after breaking a promise, so you erased that promise altogether."

Tears streamed down King's face, and she was surprised that the sight didn't make her feel like doing so as well. Then she realized she didn't feel like much of anything.

"…You're right. It was selfish of me. I never should have done it, I should have told you when I saw you again, and I- I'm so sorry!"

Diane began walking slowly towards King, and his crying face changed to one of shock, then of fear. He flinched, anticipating a hit.

But it never came. Diane continued marching forward, purposeful and unresponsive. She did not acknowledge King at all, even as she nearly collided into him. He yelped and dashed out of the way once he realized she definitely intended to walk straight through him.

"Diane?" He called after her, perplexed. "Diane, why aren't you yell- …aren't you mad? Diane?" His voice became more panicked as she failed to respond at all. "Diane, please talk to me! I'm sorry! I can say it a million times, and mean it every single time! Please, just answer me!"

She should turn around. She'd waited so long to have him back and to remember her, but now she'd made him cry. But now she couldn't forgive him. And she probably shouldn't do what she was about to do, but King was often her voice of reason, and funnily enough she didn't feel like listening to him right now.

"Hey you stupid, ugly, demons! Are we going to start this dumb fight or what?"

At first there was silence. Then, caustic laughter followed.

"She has guts, doesn't she Dolor? I like this one! Let's play a little rougher with her."

King muttered something darkly behind her, but she didn't care to figure out what.

Suddenly, a stone golem and a wooden fairy doll appeared on either side of her. She looked at each appraisingly. The golem was heavy, and could do some serious damage, but the doll looked lighter and easier to control. And she wanted to be certain of her aim.

Wielding Gideon like a bat, she flung the wooden fairy across the field and halfheartedly sparred with the golem as she listened patiently.

"Gah! Chastiefol, Form Two, Guardian!" He spoke so fast his words blurred together.

She glanced over her shoulder to see the huge green bear narrowly intercept the doll and send it flying a safe distance away from both King and Diane. She'd have to try harder. Then suddenly the golem struck her hard in the thigh, and she whacked it so hard, it would have split were it an ordinary rock. Instead, the platform around them began to crack.

She noticed King deftly maneuvering his spear against the fairy doll, and decided this fight was too easy for him. She sent the golem his way next, and he shouted in surprise as it knocked him to the ground. The laughing commentary came again.

"Isn't she something? She's doing all the work for us!"

"Enough. We should end this quickly."

He sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right, Dolor."

King still hadn't moved from the ground, but then a cloud of knives begin to surround him as he floated above both the monsters. Before he could get too high, the golem and the doll surrounded him on either side and crashed straight through his defense. A blow from both of them slammed him into the ground again, this time creating a nice-sized crater. She winced. It seemed like these summoned monsters were somehow stronger than they'd been earlier.

She watched King struggle to his feet and resisted the urge to go and help him. She hadn't forgiven him yet, and it would be silly to aid him after she was the one who directed the creatures towards him in the first place. Besides, he seemed fine now. The knives that they had destroyed had regenerated, and now he sent them spiraling down towards the wooden doll.

Wait, where was the golem?

Suddenly, she was pounded hard onto her back, her body creating a deep crevice in the platform. The weight of the golem pinned her to the ground; a stone fist was shooting towards her face. Then, she was freed as the golem was knocked aside.

She scrambled to a sitting position to spot King looking at her with concern from the other side of the platform. "I was fine. I'm not your damsel in distress, so don't try to save me!"

"Oh!" King's entire face went red. "I'm sorry, I was only trying to-"

"Watch out!" But before she could even finish, King was struck by the fairy doll's magic and began careening across the platform towards the edge. Placing her hand on the ground, Diane extended the earth to follow King off the stone fingertip and form a wall to abruptly stop his wild roll. She ran to him, getting in a punch or two on the doll as she whacked it out of the way.

"Harlequin! Are you okay?" She scanned him for injuries. He was bleeding a bit and had a few bruises, but she'd definitely seen him looking worse.

"I'm fine, Diane. Thanks to you." Oh no. She couldn't look at him when he was doing that.

"We should-…we should work together if we want to take them down." She muttered, and she moved her eyes even further away. Dammit. He was doing it even worse. She was not ready to let her anger crumble just yet.

"Okay, what should we-"

She held up her finger to shush him, but only succeeded in covering his entire face for a second. It was probably for the best at this point. She spoke hurriedly in order to stop looking at him as soon as possible. "We don't need a plan. Just follow my lead and use something super strong when I say so, okay?"

"All right, then."

"And Harlequin?"

"Yes?" His voice was gentle and sweet despite the situation, and she gritted her teeth. She had to stay strong here.

"Stop smiling so much. You're making this hard."

She turned and ran off without glanced back, and King remained where he was, utterly stunned. Then he understood and started chuckling as he followed her. "You got it, Diane!"

She couldn't stop the grin spreading across her face. King was just too damn cute.

* * *

So because I'm that kind of King-obsessed trash I always have to ask why when people tell me that they don't like King or Kiane. The number one reason I hear from people is the fact he erased Diane's memories, and that this is never really addressed anyone other than in a "aren't they so tragic?" kind of way. I do want to know why King did it, as we can theorize forever but it really hasn't been explained why he actually erased her memories...So, I thought I'd add to the feels in this fic and incorporate that as well XD

Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and such! (Especially people reviewing! Reviews are awesome, and you are awesome!) We're definitely getting close to the end (I mean it this time) so I hope you'll look for the next chapter next week!


	7. Promises

WHOOOO the final chapter (no, I'm serious!) is here! Enjoy everyone!

* * *

"Ready, Harlequin?"

"Ready, Diane!" He answered with a grin.

"Then let's go!"

She slammed Gideon into the ground, and the shock wave blasted through the earth until it erupted around the golem and the doll. "Ground Gladius!" She shouted as the enormous blade of rock flung the monsters high in the sky, but not so high that they were out of reach for-

"Spirit Spear Chastiefol Form Four: Sunflower!"

The roots of the spear-turned-flower wriggled through the ground and hung low from the shallow platform as the stalk shot past Diane's rising attack. The bud opened almost instantly, raining beams of destructive light on the summons. Just for good measure, Diane shouted "Rush Rock!" and large stones rose from the platform to pound them from below.

The doll and the golem were obliterated.

The platform wasn't looking too good either. Once Chastiefol disappeared to reform a spear beside King, the stone of the platform collapsed in on itself as it filled the holes left by the roots. It made the platform heave and tremble, but the giantess kept her feet firmly planted on the ground. At this point, though, it was clear that only Dolor's magic prevented the platform from disintegrating altogether.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, the First Fairy King cackled. "That was interesting."

"Are you shitting me that was so –" Taizoo jumped when Dolor glanced at him. "Oh! Yeah! This match goes to the duo of the Fairy King Harlequin and the Giant Diane!"

"We did it, Harlequin!" Diane spun around excitedly. The energy of the battle hadn't left her yet, and she found she couldn't remember why King's smile was tainted with a hint of anxiety. Then reality hit her at full force and she found she was… conflicted.

"We did it." She said again, softer now.

"Yeah. You were great." His voice was quiet as well.

She shuffled her feet, awkwardly. "You too."

She looked around. The next battle was starting and everywhere pairs on other platforms were recovering, conversing or watching the next fights. It occurred to her then that she had nothing to focus on other than the fairy before her.

She looked at him now; he was watching her on top of Chastiefol, frozen, with his fists clutching the pillow. His eyes met hers, and he offered her a sad, nervous smile.

"You're still angry." He stated rather than asked.

She opened her mouth to reply, then closed it and truly thought about her answer. After a pause, she shook her head. "Not anymore. I don't know when I can forgive you, but I'm definitely not mad."

His eyes widened, and then he averted his gaze. "Then… This is probably terrible timing, but I… I need to-"

"-tell you something." She blurted out at the same time.

"O-oh! Diane, you should go first."

"No, no," she had a feeling she knew what he was going to say, and she wanted to know _now_. "You go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Just say it already!

He nodded and took a deep breath, his fingers still gripping the pillow tightly. "You got your memories back, so you must remember that other promise I made to you, right?"

"I asked you to always love me."

She didn't think his face could get any redder, but he managed to surprise her anyway. "R-right. Well I… I know I didn't keep the other promise, but this one I…er…"

"You what, Harlequin?"

King suddenly jumped off the pillow and shouted, "I love you, Diane! I never stopped loving you, and I always will, just like I promised! Even if you don't feel the same."

The words petrified her, but she was still able to form a teasing smile. "Silly. Of course I love you too."

He continued as if her words haven't registered yet. "And I understand that you still have feelings for the Captain-"

"Harlequin. I had a crush on the Captain, but I _love you_."

King finally stopped talking as eyes and mouth widened exponentially. "Y-you do?!"

She nodded, grinning, and his face remained shocked. Before she could say another word, he shouted in excitement and flipped a few times in the air. Well, she couldn't quite turn in the air, but echoing his happiness, she spun in a circle laughing in relieved surprise.

"I think you're beautiful." He said suddenly, and she halted and noticed him watching her with a smile.

"…Thanks." She never really knew how to accept compliments, especially when it was out of the blue like that. She didn't get them from other people that often and so she found herself hiding behind her hair again.

"Wait, I mean I don't just think it, you are, you are beautiful."

Not knowing what to say, she blushed and blew him a kiss. To her delight, he caught it in his hand and brought it to his lips with a sly smile. She giggled, and then something flashed his eyes.

"I… I want to kiss you properly."

"Oh! O-okay!" That was something she never could have imagined actually hearing from him, and she felt nervous and elated at the same time. "Okay! I'll ask Merlin for some more of those minimum tablets and once I'm smaller I'll come find you and then-"

But she was cut off by a feeling of something warm moving against the middle of her lower lip. Small hands held her face where her lips met her cheeks; it tickled a little, and though it was only in one spot, she could feel the warmth spreading to the tips of her toes. She inhaled sharply when she understood what was happening, and King pulled back, searching her face for a reaction.

It may not been quite what he wanted, but she was so taken aback she couldn't think of anything else to say except "… That was my first kiss."

He glided back, still facing her, as he started waving his hands around wildly. "I'm so sorry! I thought you wanted- I misunderstood, I-"

She reached out a hand and gently closed it around his legs as she brought him back towards her. "Where do you think you're going?" She grinned at his complete confusion. "I didn't say I didn't like it."

He stopped his frantic rambling the moment she leaned in and kissed him back. She could've kissed King for ages, but eventually she realized she might be covering his face and she'd have to pull back. She saw him pout just a bit when she did, but then his smile filled his entire face.

"Diane…"

She grabbed him again and nuzzled him into her cheek. She just couldn't get enough of having King close to her. He didn't resist at all and gave her another peck on the cheek. They were quiet for a while, just enjoying being with each other, but then Diane remembered something.

"Hey, Harlequin?"

"Hm?"

"What about that other promise you made to me?"

King paused, thinking. "You mean, that I'd always be by your side?"

"Yeah. You mean that promise too, right?"

She could feel him nod against her, then he flew just far enough away that he would be able to look her in the eyes. "Of course I do! I will always be by your side, Diane. I'm not leaving you, I don't want to hurt you ever again!"

"I believe you, but you can't always mean that. If something happens like with Gowther…" Her sentence trailed off in a snarl.

He shook his head fervently. "It won't! I swear I'm not leaving you again. And if something like that happens-"

"Then I'll bring you back again, Harlequin. That's my promise." She smiled at him.

King blushed, blinked, and looked as if he were going to say something. Then he shook his head with a grin and flew back to kiss her again. They remained there for quite some time, kissing in the middle of the ruined platform, completely oblivious to the fights going on around them.

* * *

and then they all lived happily ever after until Meliodas dies and the Commandments take over Britannia.

But in all serious, I hoped everyone liked this last chapter! I rewrote it a million times because straight-up fluff isn't really one of my strengths, and even now I'm worried that this chapter dances on the line between cute and horribly cheesy, but oh well.

A million thanks to everyone who read, faved, and reviewed! Special thank you to Ultrawolfie and Fanficlove2014 who reviewed basically every chapter, you guys are awesome!


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